Obituary: Doris HoustonDoris Virginia Houston, 75, was born Oct. 25, 1939, to her parents in Los Angeles, Calif., and died May 8, 2015, in Van Buren, Ar.. She was a nurse, cake decorator, licensed school bus Driver, and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She is preceded in death by her parents, Clifford and Virginia Carey Hunt; daughter, Ginny Malik; and sister, Dorothy Hunt. She is survived by her son, Marty Houston and wife, Paula, of Scr...

Obituary: Janet SorrelsJanet Sorrels, 67, of Atkins, passed away Monday, May 11, 2015, at the River Valley Medical Center in Dardanelle. She was born July 21, 1947, in Atkins, daughter of the late William Arlie and Cathryn Ehemann Sorrels. She was preceded in death by her parents and a son, William Thomas Fowler. She is survived by a son, Robert Fowler and wife Christina; daughter, Stephanie and husband Jack Chesser; brother, Robert Wayne Sorrels and wife Julia of H...

Obituary: Ethan Eldon BeasonEthan Eldon Beason, who resided in Russellville went home to be with his heavenly Father and family members who preceded him Saturday, May 9, 2015. The youngest of eight children, Ethan was born Sept. 20, 1931 in Branch, Ark., to the late Walter and Beulah (Francis) Beason. He was 83 years old. He was also preceded in death by his three sisters, Nina Swain, Veda Flynn and Iva Matthews and two brothers, Leon and Solan Beason. He married the lov...

Bond hearings (May 12, 2015)The following individuals appeared during felony bond hearings Monday at the Pope County Detention Center. Their names, ages, anticipated charges and bond amounts are listed. If charged, they will appear June 29 in Pope County Circuit Court. • Preston Pfeifer, 19, possession with purpose to deliver — $15,000. On Sunday, a Russellville Police Department (RPD) officer stopped a vehicle with a headlight out. The officer reportedly searched the ve...

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Compiled by Ryan SmithThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Four Tech students rescued in floodFour international Arkansas Tech students from Japan were rescued early Monday morning by the Yell County Mounted Patrol after they’d been thrown from their vehicle into rushing flood waters. Tom Berryhill, ex-officio for the YCMP, said he was the first responder to the call. The girls had tried to cross a low-water bridge on Southpoint Lane off Wildcat Hollow Road, but the car was washed off the bridge by the water, he said. “The girls were a...

Atkins woman faces murder chargesAn Atkins woman had bond set at $750,000 during bond hearings Monday at the Pope County Detention Center after she was arrested Saturday night for the alleged murder of her husband. Donna McCabe, 49, faces a charge of first-degree murder of her husband, Robert McCabe, 47. She was found standing outside her home at 1908 S.W. Third St. when Atkins Police officers were dispatched to their residence Saturday night, Pope County Sheriff’s Officer (P...

Obituary: Johnny GimbleDRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas — Renowned fiddler Johnny Gimble, whose career included a stint as a Texas Playboy with the legendary Western swing musician Bob Wills and then gained fame for his backup work with country stars from Merle Haggard to Carrie Underwood, has died. He was 89. His daughter, Cyndy, said Gimble died Saturday morning near his home in Dripping Springs, near Austin, “finally rid of the complications from several strokes over the ...

Joanne Carson, ex-wife of Johnny Carson, diesLOS ANGELES — Joanne Carson, the second wife of “Tonight Show” host Johnny Carson, has died in Southern California. She was 83. Ed Rada, the executor of her estate, says Carson died Friday at her longtime home in Los Angeles. Rada said she had been in declining health and was in hospice care. Born Joanne Copeland in Los Angeles, she married Johnny Carson in 1963, a year after he began hosting “The Tonight Show.” After their divorce in 1972, sh...

Obituary: Elmina SmithElmina Smith DANVILLE — Elmina Bell Smith, 92, of Plainview passed away Thursday, May 7, 2015, at Mitchell’s Nursing Home. She was born Dec. 3, 1922, in Ponca City Okla., to the late Mary Johnson. She was a homemaker. She was preceded in death by her mother; husband, Hood Smith; brother, John Smith; sisters, Carmendean Martin and Arlene Barnett. Survivors include daughter and son-in-law, Edna and J.B. Ellis Sr. of Plainview; grandchildren, J.B...

Little Rock college planning $2.4M in cuts as revenue dropsLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A central Arkansas university plans to make more than $2 million in cuts to help save money following declining student enrollment and drops in revenue. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://bit.ly/1zWcYEk ) reports most of the $2.4 million in cuts at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock are set to take effect July 1. The cuts also are tied to a restructuring effort the school began in 2013. The school's slow decl...

Tornadoes kill at least 5 in Texas and ArkansasLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Emergency responders searched through splintered wreckage Monday after a line of tornadoes battered several small communities in Texas and Arkansas, killing at least five people, including a young couple who died trying to shield their daughter from the storm. Three people were still missing in a rural East Texas town. Scores of others were hurt, some critically. The couple, both in their late 20s, died when a twister ...

Hutchinson announces special legislative sessionLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Monday said he was calling lawmakers back to the Capitol later this month to consider incentives aimed at luring a defense contract to the state that he says could create nearly 600 new jobs. The Republican governor announced he was calling a special session starting May 26 to consider issuing "super-project" economic development bonds to help Lockheed Martin at its Camden facility. The ...

Obituary: Modean VinsonModean Mills Vinson, 79, of Centerville was called home to heaven Saturday, May 9, 2015. She was born Aug. 15, 1935, at Mount George to Harrison and Nora Mills. She is preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Lawrence Mills and Herbert Mills; and a sister, Betty Joy Robinson. She is survived by her loving husband of 63 years, Melvin Vinson of Centerville; three children, Dennis and Tina Vinson of London, Sheila and Kurt Loyd of Pottsvil...

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Courier staff reportsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Making an impact through 40 years of volunteeringFor nearly 40 years, a familiar face has greeted patients with flowers, read get well cards and offered assistance to those entering Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center. It’s a sense of helping another that keeps Delphine Zydzik volunteering at the hospital. It’s a role she filled for nearly 6,000 hours. Although not a native of Russellville, Zydzik said she feels at home at Saint Mary’s. She began volunteering at the hospital in November 197...

Fifty years after starting, Johnson is college graduateA dream deferred for almost five decades came true for James Johnson of North Little Rock on Saturday. At the age of 68, he received his Bachelor of Professional Studies degree from Arkansas Tech University in Russellville. Johnson attended Jarvis Christian College in Texas from 1965-68, but the need to provide for his family caused him to discontinue his education one year short of completing his degree. As the years went by, Johnson worked f...

RSD outsources child nutrition to AramarkFor some child nutrition workers at the Russellville School District (RSD), reduction in force has become a positive notion. During the called Russellville Board of Education meeting on Thursday at the administration office, child nutrition employees lost their positions at the district — and gained employment at another company. Aramark was hired as the district’s food service outsourcing company after three groups presented before the board,...

Ashdown man convicted of lesser charges in couple's slayingASHDOWN (AP) — An Ashdown man has again been convicted, but on lesser charges, of killing a couple and trying to kill the couple's 7-month-old son. The Texarkana Gazette reported Timothy Howard, 45, was found guilty Friday on two counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted second-degree murder. Howard was originally convicted in 1999 of capital murder and sentenced to death in the killings of Brian Day and Shannon Day and of atte...

Jury selection begins in trial of suspect in girl's deathBENTONVILLE (AP) — Jury selection has begun for the capital murder trial of a Bentonville man charged with kidnapping, raping and killing a 6-year-old girl. Zachary Holly is charged in the Nov. 20, 2012, death of Jersey Bridgeman. He has pleaded not guilty and faces a possible death sentence if convicted. One hundred potential jurors arrived Friday in Benton County Circuit Court and that eight were dismissed because they are related to or know...

Bond trader fined, license revoked for Shoffner dealingsLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An Arkansas bond trader who gave $36,000 to former state Treasurer Martha Shoffner in exchange for bond business has been fined $20,000 and had his securities license revoked. An order released Friday stated Steele Stephens is guilty of two violations of Arkansas' securities law. Hearing officer Jack Pruniski found that Stephens violated securities law when he failed to disclose the amount of commission on a proposed sale be...

Woman killed in head-on collision near MorriltonMORRILTON (AP) — Arkansas State Police say a Houston, Arkansas, woman has been killed in a head-on collision on Highway 9 near Morrilton. A report on the crash stated Emily Jeannette Morse, 70, died Friday afternoon when the car she was driving northbound swerved into the southbound lane and collided with a sport utility vehicle. The crash occurred just south of the Arkansas River bridge south of Morrilton. The report stated the driver of the ...